Portable gym using gravitational forces

ABSTRACT

A portable gym using gravitational forces of the present invention includes a gravity gym assembly and a belt harness. The gravity gym assembly includes a door anchor that is attachable to any doorway having a door, and an adjustable strap that leads to a pulley through which a cable passes. The cable is equipped with detachable handles on each end and may be advanced back and forth through the pulley when forces are applied to the handles. A series of exercises may be accomplished by varying body position, and exercises the entire body by using the person&#39;s body weight for resistance. In an alternative embodiment, the portable gym using gravitational forces may include attachment of the cable ends to the belt harness worn around the waist of the athlete and provides for the stabilization and application of resistance on the body while exercising. Exercises that are primarily performed in the gym, including, strengthening shoulder, arm, chest, back, leg, and abdominal core muscle groups, and performing cardiovascular and plyometric movements, can be performed virtually anywhere using the portable gym using gravitational forces of the present invention.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of priority from U.S.Provisional Patent Application entitled “Pocket Perfect Gym”, filed Apr.17, 2009, and currently co-pending.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to exercise devices. The presentinvention is more particularly, though not exclusively, useful as anexercise device to perform exercises that are typically performed in thegym, and can be performed anywhere with a strong structural base such asa door way, tree branch or fence.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Early history has provided evidence that man has long been aware of thebenefits of physical fitness, and in the development of strong muscles.In fact, the Spartans and Greeks are thought to be some of the mostphysically fit societies that have ever existed. As early as the 18^(th)century, man has developed exercise devices to assist with thedevelopment of muscles and general fitness.

One of the first known exercise devices was the “chamber horse” designedin the late 18^(th) century. This device included a chair-like seathaving a series of springs under the seat portion and a pair of handlesextending from the arms of the chair. The person exercising would gripeach handle, and bounce up and down to simulate the riding of a horse,to strengthen the legs an torso.

While the “chamber horse” was a very basic and rudimentary device, itrepresents the start of a trend that included the introduction ofexercise devices into the mainstream household. Over the centuries,there have been many improvements on the chamber horse, and the creationof an endless variety of exercise devices.

Hand-in-hand with the growing popularity of exercise devices came thegrowing awareness of the day-to-day benefits of strength andcardiovascular fitness. Perhaps one of the best known advocates offitness and strength training was Angelo Siciliano (later known asCharles Atlas) who developed the “Charles Atlas Exercise Program” in theearly 1920s. The Atlas program is likely one of the longest-lastingprograms to date, and owes is longevity in part to the consistentadvertising of the “Dynamic Tension” exercise program. “Dynamic Tension”is a self-resistance exercise method which pits muscle against muscle.The practitioner tenses the muscles of given body part and then movesthe body part against the tension as if a heavy weight was being lifted.“Dynamic Tension” exercises are not merely isometrics, since theyinclude movement. Instead, the method comprises a combination ofexercises in three disciplines: isotonic, isokinetic, and some exercisesin the isometric discipline. No apparatus are required to practiceAtlas' “Dynamic Tension” program, and thus it was affordable andappealed to many as the in-home fitness solution.

Following in the footsteps of Charles Atlas, Jack LaLanne and Joe Weidereach came up with their own personal physical fitness program thatincluded diet, exercise, and weight training. Unlike Atlas' program,however, both LaLanne and Weider programs required the use of weighttraining. In fact, Weider developed an entire line of weight-lifting andbodybuilding exercise equipment to accompany his fitness program.

Modern day exercise devices for building and strengthening muscles rangefrom the basic barbell and weight bench, to large-scale universal gyms.The “Universal Gym” was developed in 1957 and was the firstmulti-station selectable-weight training machine. Over the years, the“Universal Gym” has gradually been replaced by highly engineered weighttraining stations.

In addition to weight-based devices, a variety of exercise devices havebeen designed to focus equally on cardiovascular fitness. These devicesinclude computerized stationary bicycles, treadmills, stair-steppingmachines, elliptical trainers, and rowing machines. These devices areused to elevate heart rate for a sustained period of time to improve thecardiovascular health.

While fitness techniques have ranged from the “Dynamic Tension”exercises promoted by Atlas, to the equipment-based exercises promotedby LaLanne and others, there is a gap in the available products andtechniques. Specifically, the “Dynamic Tension” techniques are limitedby the absence of any apparatus designed to improve specific musclestrength and function. On the other hand, the equipment-based exercisesrequire expensive, bulky, and often very complicated, gym equipment. Asa result of these two disparate options, a person must choose between anat-home, equipment-less exercise program, or invest thousands of dollarsto purchase the latest state-of-the-art equipment for home or join a gymthat has that equipment available at an often significant cost.

In light of the above, it would be advantageous to provide an exercisedevice that provides the athlete with the apparatus necessary toexercise fully all muscle groups in the body. It would also beadvantageous to provide an exercise device that is portable thuseliminating the need for bulky equipment or gym memberships. It isfurther advantageous to provide an exercise device that is easy to setup, easy to use, and comparatively cost effective.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The portable gym using gravitational forces of the present inventionincludes a gravity gym assembly and a belt harness. The gravity gymassembly includes a door anchor that is attachable to any doorway havinga door, and an adjustable strap that leads to a pulley through which acable passes. The cable is equipped with detachable handles on each endand may be advanced back and forth through the pulley when forces areapplied to the handles. A series of exercises may be accomplished byvarying body position, and exercises the entire body by using theperson's body weight for resistance. In an alternative embodiment, theportable gym using gravitational forces may include attachment of thecable ends to the belt harness. The belt harness is worn around thewaist of the athlete and provides for the stabilization and applicationof resistance on the body while exercising.

Exercises that are primarily performed in the gym, including,strengthening shoulder, arm, chest, back, leg, and abdominal core musclegroups, and performing cardiovascular and plyometric movements, can beperformed virtually anywhere using the portable gym using gravitationalforces of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects, features, and advantages of the method according to theinvention will be more clearly perceived from the following detaileddescription, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is an assembly view of the portable gym using gravitationalforces of the present invention showing the gravity gym assembly havinga door anchor, adjustable strap that leads to a pulley having a cableequipped with an attachable handle at each end, and a corresponding beltharness attachable to the cable;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the portable gym using gravitationalforces of the present invention showing an athlete using the portablegym attached to a doorway and engaged in exercise;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the portable gym using gravitationalforces of the present invention showing an athlete using the portablegym attached to a doorway and engaged in exercise with an inclined bodyposition thereby increasing the gravitational forces applied to theexercise;

FIG. 4 is a is a perspective view of the portable gym usinggravitational forces of the present invention showing an athlete usingthe portable gym and belt harness attached to a doorway and engaged inexercise showing the range of body movement in a side-to-side androtational direction;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the door anchor of the portable gymusing gravitational forces of the present invention showing the stoppositioned between a door and the door frame (shown in phantom) adjacentthe hinge;

FIG. 6 is a is a perspective view of the door anchor of the portable gymusing gravitational forces of the present invention showing the stoppositioned between a door and the door frame (shown in phantom) distantfrom the hinge;

FIG. 7 is a is a perspective view of the handle of the portable gymusing gravitational forces of the present invention showing the handlestrap and grip having a pad;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the portable gym using gravitationalforces of the present invention showing an athlete using the portablegym attached to a doorway, with the athlete facing toward the door andengaged in an arm curl exercise with an inclined body position therebyincreasing the gravitational forces applied to the exercise;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the portable gym using gravitationalforces of the present invention showing an athlete using the portablegym attached to a doorway, with the athlete facing away from the doorand engaged in an arm butterfly exercise with an inclined body positionthereby increasing the gravitational forces applied to the exercise;

FIG. 10A-C is a series of views of the portable gym using gravitationalforces of the present invention showing an athlete using the portablegym attached to a doorway, with the athlete facing toward the door andengaged in an upright rowing exercise with varying angles of inclinedbody position thereby increasing the gravitational forces applied to theexercise, and a bar graph representation corresponding to the proportionof the gravitational forces experienced by the athlete; and

FIG. 11A-C is a series of views of the portable gym using gravitationalforces of the present invention showing an athlete using the portablegym attached to a free-standing post, with the athlete using theportable gym and belt harness in exercise showing the range ofcardiovascular and plyometric body movements including for example,squats and lunges.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring initially to FIG. 1, an assembly view of the portable gymusing gravitational forces of the present invention is shown andgenerally designated 100. Portable gym 100 includes a gravity gymassembly 102 and a belt harness 104.

Gravity gym 102 assembly includes a door anchor 110. Door anchor 110includes a stop 112 that is enlarged compared to the relatively thindoor anchor strap 114. As will be discussed in greater detail inconjunction with FIGS. 5 and 6, the stop 112 is enlarged so as toprevent the stop from passing between a door and its frame.

Clip ring 116 attaches anchor strap 114 to ring 118 that is attached toleader strap 120. Adjustable clamp 122 attaches leader strap 120 toadjustable strap 124 so that the overall length of the combination ofleader strap 120 and adjustable strap 124 can be adjusted and secured.This adjustment capability provides for the use of the gravity gymassembly in nearly any setting.

Adjustable strap 124 ends with a ring 125 that attaches to clip ring 126which clips to a pulley 128. Pulley 128 includes an axle 132 whichsupports a wheel 130 sized to receive a cable 134. In a preferredembodiment, cable 134 may be a polymer encased steel cable to providesuitable durability and strength. Alternative cabling as is known in theart may be used without departing from the present invention.

Each end of cable 134 includes a cable stop 136 and loop 138. Cable stop136 is sized so that the cable stop 136 cannot pass through pulley 128thereby preventing the cable 134 from passing entirely through pulley128. A clip ring 140 attaches to loop 138 and may be attached to ahandle 142. Specifically, handle 142 is formed with a ring 144 that isremovably clipped to clip ring 140 to secure the handle 142 to thegravity gym assembly 102.

The portable gym using gravitational forces 100 of the present inventionalso includes the belt harness 104. The harness 104 includes a strap pad160 which is attached to an elongated strap 162 having an adjustableclip 164 on one end, and a clip receiver 166 on the other end. It is tobe appreciated that adjustable clip 164 provides for the adjustment ofthe length of strap 162 and is securely received in clip receiver 166 soas to secure the belt harness around an athlete's body, such as thewaist or chest.

A pouch 170 may be attached to, or formed integral to, strap pad 160 andequipped with a zipper 172. In a preferred embodiment, gravity gymassembly 102 can be stored fully within pouch 170 of the belt harness104 to provide for the easy and convenient transportation and storage.Moreover, because the portable gym 100 using gravitational forces of thepresent invention is highly versatile, the ability to easily transportthe gym on an athlete's waist is highly advantageous for walkers,joggers, and cyclists. An accessory pouch 174 attached to strap pad 160provides additional storage for an athlete during these periods oftransportation, and are perfectly suited for personal electronics, suchas cellular telephones and i-pods.

A pair of belt rings 176 are securely attached to the strap 162 adjacenteach end of strap pad 160. As will be shown in greater detail inconjunction with FIG. 4, clip ring 140 of the gravity gym assembly 102may also be attached to belt rings 176 for additional exercises. In suchconfigurations, handles 142 can be removed from gravity gym assembly102, or they may remain in place on clip rings 140 and adjacent beltrings 176.

Referring to FIG. 2, a perspective view of the portable gym usinggravitational forces 100 of the present invention is shown as typicallyused by an athlete 200. As shown, gravity gym 102 is attached to astructure, such as a doorway by positioning stop 112 inside a door 210so that anchor strap 114 passes between the door 210 and the door frame208. Once the door 210 is securely closed, the door anchor 110 issecurely captured in place.

As shown in this Figure, athlete 200 is facing away from door 210 andgripping handles 142 and engaged in exercise of the torso 202, right arm204 and left arm 206. As can be understood from this Figure, when rightarm 204 is moved forward and away from the door 210, cable 134 passesthrough pulley 128 causing left arm 206 to move backwards toward door210.

FIG. 3 provides another perspective view of the portable gym usinggravitational forces 100 in the same basic exercise as shown in FIG. 3,provided that the position of the athlete 200 provides increasedresistance on the movement of arms 204 and 206, and increased needs ofcore muscle strength in torso 202 due to the athlete's inclined positionrelative to the ground. More specifically, the athlete depicted in FIG.3 has positioned his feet 224 closer to the door 210 than in FIG. 2.This foot position results in an increase in the angle of the athlete'sbody position. In this non-vertical position, the forces exerted on thearms 204 and 206 are much greater due to the effects of gravity. Theforces that are experienced by arms 204 and 206 as they pass throughmotions 214 and 216 are far greater due to the athlete's inclinedposition. Also, the strength requirement for core muscles in torso 202is greatly increased as the athlete must maintain a proper body positionand posture.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a perspective view of the portable gym usinggravitational forces 100 of the present invention is shown and includesan athlete 200 using the gravity gym 102 along with the belt harness104. As shown in this Figure, belt harness 104 attaches about the waistof athlete 200 by inserting adjustable clip 164 into clip receiver 166.Once in position, clip rings 140 are attached to belt rings 176. Asshown, the belt harness 104 is positioned on athlete 200 so that strappad 160 is adjacent his stomach. It is to be appreciated, however, thatthe belt harness 104 may be positioned around athlete 200 so strap pad160 is adjacent his back or sides, and may even be worn higher on theabdomen 220 if desired. In a preferred embodiment, the strap pad 160 ispositions so that the bulk of the force applied through the harnessoccurs at the strap pad to provide padding and minimize discomfort tothe athlete.

As shown, gravity gym 100 is attached to a door 210 and door frame 208,and cable 134 is taut. In this configuration, athlete 200 may engage ina number of exercise routines, and has freedom of movement in rotationaldirections 222, as well as side to side 226 and 228 motion. In someexercises, a padding, or slide mat, 230 may be used to allow the cushionor sliding of feet 224.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a perspective view of the door anchor 110 ofthe portable gym using gravitational forces 100 shows the anchor stop112 positioned on the opposite side of a door 210, with anchor strap 114passing between door 210 and door frame 208 and immediately adjacenthinge 212 (shown in phantom). By positioning the door anchor 110adjacent hinge 212, a significant pulling force may be exerted on leaderstrap 120 without fear of damaging the door or frame.

FIG. 6 is another perspective view of the door anchor 110 of theportable gym using gravitational forces 100 showing the anchor stop 112positioned on the opposite side of a door 210, with anchor strap 114passing between door 210 and door frame 208 (shown in phantom). In thisinstallation, the door anchor 110 is distant from the hinge 212 anddemonstrates that there is no limit to the positioning of door anchor110. Also, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the anchor stop 114 is positionedon the side of door frame 208 opposite hinge 212. It is to beappreciated that this is merely exemplary, and that the anchor stop 114may be positioned on the side of the door frame 208 that has hinge 212,with the anchor strap passing between door 210 and door frame 208 in theopposite direction as shown in these figures.

Anchor strap 114 is shown to be formed with a loop 150 through whichclip ring 116 passes. As will be more fully discussed in conjunctionwith FIG. 11, gravity gym 102 may be attached to other structures byremoving door anchor 110 and clipping clip ring 116 around leader strap120. In this manner, the portable gym using gravitational forces 100 ofthe present invention may be attached to any sturdy structure, frommanmade doorways, railings, posts, and ceiling joists, to naturalstructures, such as trees and rocks.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the handle 142 of the portable gym usinggravitational forces 100 of the present invention. This figure shows thehandle strap 146 formed with a stitched loop 152 around ring 144. Handlestrap 146 passes through a bore 154 formed in grip 148 to provide arobust gripping surface. This results in a fail-proof design in which,even in the unlikely event grip 148 breaks, strap 146 passes through theathlete's hand thereby preventing the uncontrolled release of cable 134.A pad 156 may be provided to grip 148 to assist with the grippingsurface by providing a slip-free surface, while adding a layer ofpadding to distribute the pressure on the athlete's hand.

Specific Exercises

The portable gym using gravitational forces 100 of the present inventionis designed to be useful for accomplishing a near unlimited number ofexercises focusing on the strengthening of all muscle groups, andproviding a cardiovascular workout. In order to demonstrate theversatility of the portable gym using gravitational forces 100, a numberof exercises are depicted in the drawings. It is to be understood thatthese exercises depicted are merely exemplary of the versatility of thepresent invention, and are not in any way to be construed as alimitation on the specific exercises, or environments, for which thepresent invention may be utilized.

A basic arm curl exercise is shown in FIG. 8. Specifically, aperspective view of the portable gym using gravitational forces 100 ofthe present invention is attached to a doorframe 208 and being used byan athlete 200 facing toward the door 210. As shown in this exercise,the athlete has positioned his feet 224 slightly towards the door 210.By gripping handles 142 with his arms 206 and 208 in a curled position,he retains his torso in position 220. By slowly decreasing the muscletension on his arms 206 and 208, gravitational forces pull athlete 200in direction 240 to a new position 220′ (shown in dashed lines) with hisarms fully extended. In this resting position, gravity provides a forceupon athlete 200 that must be overcome in order to return to hisoriginal position 200. This motion, commonly referred to as an uprightcurl, is repeated thereby strengthening the core muscles in torso 220,as well as all shoulder and back muscle groups. As will be discussedmore fully in conjunction with FIG. 10A-C, by positioning the athlete'sfeet 224 closer to the door 208, the forces experienced by the athletedue to gravity are increased.

Referring now to FIG. 9, a perspective view of the portable gym usinggravitational forces 100 of the present invention is shown and depictsan athlete 200 using the portable gym 100 attached to a doorframe 208.In this exercise, the athlete 200 is facing away from the door 208 andengaged in an arm butterfly exercise. This exercise begins with theathlete standing substantially upright, and his arms 206 and 208 areextended forward and together from torso 220 and gripping handles 142.As he relaxes the chest and shoulder muscles, his arms 206 and 208 moveoutwards to positions 206′ and 208′ as his body moves forward indirection 242 to a new position 220′. In position 220′ the athlete is inan inclined body position thereby increasing the gravitational forcesexperienced. By returning his arms from positions 206′ and 208′ to theiroriginal position, the athlete returns to his original position 220.This motion, commonly referred to as a butterfly, is repeated therebystrengthening the core muscles in the torso 220, as well as allpectoral, latissimus dorsi, shoulder and back muscle groups. Again, aswill be discussed more fully in conjunction with FIG. 10A-C, bypositioning the athlete's feet 224 closer to the door 208, the forcesexperienced by the athlete due to gravity are increased.

FIG. 10A-C include a series of views A-C of the portable gym usinggravitational forces 100 of the present invention showing an athlete 200using the portable gym 100 attached to a doorframe 208. In these views,note that the overall length 248 of portable gym 100 remains constant,and the athlete 200 is facing toward the door 210 and engaged in anupright rowing exercise with varying angles of inclined body positionthereby increasing the gravitational forces applied to the exercise. Forinstance, if athlete 200 was standing vertically, the amount ofgravitational force applied to his arms would be essentially zero. Thiswould be due to his center of gravity 249 being directly over his feet224. Correspondingly, the closer to the door athlete 200 places his feet224, the farther his center of gravity 249 is from being verticallyabove his feet 224, and the greater the forces required to raise hisbody position.

More specifically, in FIG. 10A, the athlete's feet 224 are a distance251 from door 210 resulting in his body axis (shown in dashed lines)being at an angle 250 towards the ground. This angle 250 is nearly a 90degree angle as his posture is near vertical. The bar graphrepresentation 252 corresponds to the proportion of the gravitationalforces experienced by the athlete. In this case, the gravitationalforces are minimal, and the intensity of the workout using this positionwould be low.

Referring to FIG. 10B, athlete 200 has now positioned his feet 224 adistance 255 from door 210, thereby creating an angle 254 with theground. As shown in this Figure, distance 255 is less than distance 251and athlete's 200 center of gravity 249 is no longer substantiallyaligned over his feet 224, and thus, the bar graph representation 256indicates a higher gravitational force required to raise his bodyposition.

In FIG. 10C, athlete 200 has positioned his feet 224 even closer to door210 at a distance 259. This creates an angle 258 with the ground, withhis center of gravity 249 greatly offset from his feet position. In thiscase, the gravitational forces are extraordinarily high, and approachthe gravitational pull on his entire body. In fact, depending on theheight 262 that gravity gym 102 is attached to a structure, thegravitational (vertical) component 264 of the downward forces can vary.

The various exercises that have been shown herein have demonstrated thebilateral exercise of the arms; however, it is to be appreciated thatthe specific exercises may be performed using both arms, or may also beperformed using only one arm. In this manner, a specific muscle, ormuscle group can be isolated for a more focused workout.

It is also to be appreciated that in the process of utilizing thepresent invention, resistance can be introduced into the workout byadjusting the position of the feet, as well as by applyingcounter-forces by the opposing limb. For instance, when doing aone-armed exercise, the second arm must counteract the movement of thecable thereby increasing the resistance experienced by the athlete. Anexample of this bi-directional force would include a biceps of one armbeing contracted to draw that arm towards the body, while the triceps ofthe other arm must be contracted to push the other arm away from thebody.

Also, in a preferred embodiment, axle 132 may not allow wheel 130 torotate freely within pulley 128 thereby introducing additionalresistance into the system thereby providing a more vigorous exercise.Additional resistance can be introduced by attaching the portable gymusing gravitational forces 100 of the present invention to a suspendedstructure, such as a ceiling joist or elevated tree limb. In thisconfiguration (not shown), the athlete can be completely suspended fromthe ground by grasping the handles 142 and will experience 100% of thegravitational forces exerted on the body. By utilizing the portable gymusing gravitational forces 100 of the present invention the athlete canstrengthen his upper-body muscle groups by performing one-arm pull-ups,two arm pull-ups, and the abdomen and back by performing crunches andleg lifts.

FIG. 11A-C includes a series of views of the portable gym usinggravitational forces 100 of the present invention showing an athlete 200using the gravity gym 102 attached to a free-standing post 270. Asdiscussed above, gravity gym 102 may be attached to such structures 270by removing door anchor 110 from clip ring 116, looping leader strap 120around the structure, and clipping clip ring 116 directly over leaderstrap 120. During use, the tension applied to leader strap 120 cinchesthe loop tightly to prevent movement of the strap 120 on the structure.

As shown in FIG. 11A, athlete 200 is wearing belt harness 104 attachedto clip rings 126 at belt rings 176. In this position, the athlete canengage in core strength training exercises, as well as cardiovascularactivities, while being restrained by the tension of the portablegravity gym 100.

FIG. 11B depicts athlete 200 engaged in controlled squats utilizing theproper body positioning. Specifically, the most appropriate bodypositioning for a squat for maximum effectiveness is for the back to bevertically upright, and the hips to be positioned directly over thefeet. Unfortunately, this position is nearly impossible to achieveabsent support due to the need to balance oneself. Using the portablegym using gravitational forces 100 of the present invention, the athletecan lean forward against the tension of the gravity gym 102 to obtainthe proper position. This position can be maintained during the squatexercise as the gravity gym 102 moves with the athlete to provide aconstant tension force to belt harness 104.

FIG. 11C depicts athlete 200 engaged in lunges during which the athletejumps upwards from a standing or squatting position (as shown in FIG.11B), to an upwardly outstretched position while maintaining tension ongravity gym 102 and belt harness 104.

The combination of exercises shown in FIGS. 11A-C demonstrate exemplaryrange of cardiovascular and plyometric body movements that are capableusing the portable gym using gravitational forces 100 of the presentinvention. Notwithstanding the specific exercises described above, inuse, the portable gym using gravitational forces 100 of the presentinvention exercises the entire body with a portable belt harness, pulleyand cable system that uses the person's body weight for resistance. Asshown, setup is very easy. If an athlete is using a reinforced structurefor support, he can simply wrap the adjustment strap around thestructure and clip it to itself. Alternatively, if using a doorway forsupport, he can simply place the door anchor between the door and frameover the top hinge 212 with the large stop 112 behind the door 208 whenclosed. Attach the adjustment strap to the door anchor. When standingand facing the pulley the athlete presses the adjustment clamp to thedesired height position, holds both handles, and extend the arms fullyand leans backwards. By adjusting the placement of the feet towards thesupport, the forces experienced can vary from a little (easy) or a lot(harder) depending on the desired resistance.

Exercise can include the athlete pulling the handles together orseparately toward the body then slowly extend, lifting the user uprightagainst gravity, and back down to the original position to complete thebasic movement. The athlete can then repeat for the number of desiredrepetitions.

When standing and facing away from the pulley, the athlete presses theadjustment clamp to the desired height position, holds both handles,extends the arms fully and leans forward. By adjusting the placement ofthe feet towards the support, the forces experiences can vary from alittle (easy) or a lot (harder) depending on the desired resistance.

This exercise can include the athlete pulling the handles together orseparately away from the body then slowly return, lifting the userupright against gravity, and back down to the original position tocomplete the basic movement. The athlete can then repeat for the numberof desired repetitions.

An alternative exercise may include performing cardiovascular, legs, absand plyometric movements by attaching the belt harness to the pulleycable and placing the harness around the waist facing forward orbackward depending on the preferred exercise.

While there have been shown what are presently considered to bepreferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be apparent tothose skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can bemade herein without departing from the scope and spirit of theinvention.

1. A portable gym using gravitational forces, comprising: a gravity gymassembly and a belt harness; said gravity gym assembly comprising: adoor anchor attachable to any doorway having a door, an adjustable strapthat leads to a pulley through which a cable passes, said cable equippedwith detachable handles on each end advancable back and forth throughthe pulley when forces are applied to the handles.